


A New Beginning

by unofficialfansie



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Gen, I have no clue what else to tag, Mostly Fluff, Spanish, There's a Little Bit of the Delanceys Being Creeps, but they don't do anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 14:12:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15098312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unofficialfansie/pseuds/unofficialfansie
Summary: The story of how Esperanza Lopez became a Manhattan newsgirl at the age of 16.





	A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this on Tumblr as a part of OC Week, and I am now posting it here as a part of a new series! Please enjoy, and be sure to leave comments and kudos at the end!

_ September 1899 _

 

“¡Esperanza, ponte a atención!”

 

Esperanza Lopez was jolted from her daydream by the sharp, disapproving voice of her mother. “Sí, Mamá?”

 

Her mother sighed and shook her head at Esperanza’s startled, slightly absent expression. “Siempre con la cabeza en el cielo, nunca escuchando a nadie…” she trailed off and sighed again.

 

Esperanza blushed and looked down at her lap in embarrassment. “Estoy escuchando ahora, Mamá,” she said quietly.

 

Esperanza’s mother fixed her with another sharp look, then picked a large wicker basket up off of the small kitchen table and handed it to her.

 

“Comprar algo para la cena en el mercado,” she instructed. “Y no te tomes demasiado tiempo.”

 

Esperanza nodded, quickly jumping up from where she had been sitting at the window of her family’s small tenement apartment and hurrying towards the door. She had been cooped up in the apartment for the past few days, and she was eager to get out and enjoy the warm summer sunshine.

 

********************************************************************************************************

 

Orchard Street was, as always, crowded with push-carts filled with all sorts of goods and people haggling over the price of things. Esperanza turned in a slow circle, taking it all in with a giddy smile on her face. Her family had been living in New York City for just over a year now, but it was only her second or third time coming here and the novelty of being in a place so different from her home hadn’t quite worn off yet.

 

Strolling down the center of the street Esperanza began to look around for something her mother could cook for dinner. There was so much variety, so many things Esperanza had never seen before. As she continued down the street she thought it would be impossible to choose something to buy, but at last her gaze landed on a butcher’s stall a few feet away from her.

 

Approaching him Esperanza began to look over the meats he was selling and was about to ask for some pork when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a shadow fell over the cart.

 

Turning around, Esperanza saw that two tall young men had come up behind her and were staring at her in a way that made her skin prickle with disgust.

 

“Can I help you?” she said loftily, trying to ignore the way they were both looking her up and down.

 

“We were just wonderin’ what a pretty girl like you is doin’ out here all by yourself,” one of them said, his voice oily.

 

“I can take care of myself just fine, thank you,” Esperanza said, turning away from them and attempting to continue with her purchase.

 

“Oh I’m sure you can, but you don’t have to,” the other man said. “You see, we’re both experts at takin’ care of pretty girls.”

 

“I’m fine, really,” Esperanza insisted, taking the wrapped package of meat the butcher handed her and placing it in her basket, handing him a few coins in exchange. She then turned away from the stall and walked a few feet down the street to another cart, hoping the two men wouldn’t follow her. Unfortunately, they did.

 

As she looked over the selection of vegetables a young woman was selling, one of the men spoke up again. “I’m sure there’s plenty of guys who’d be looking to take advantage of a girl like you. Why don’t we walk you home?”

 

“I’m perfectly capable of walking myself home, sir,” Esperanza shot back, turning to face them. “Now why don’t you both go on your way and leave me alone?”

 

“Aw, come on. That’s no way to talk to us,” the man said smoothly, reaching out to take Esperanza’s hand.

 

“Don’t,” Esperanza snapped, jerking her hand away from him.

 

The man smirked and reached out to touch her again, but suddenly a slightly smaller boy jumped in front of Esperanza and shoved him backward.

 

“She told ya to shove off, Morris,” the boy said, his words like ice. “So why don’t you?”

 

Both of the men glanced at each other before laughing as if on cue. “Really Race, you’se defendin’ girls now?” one of them snorted. “What’s Spot got to say about that?”

 

The boy, whose name was apparently Race, let out a slight growl. “Leave now, or you won’t be walking anywhere for a long while.”

 

The two men glanced at each other again, then one let out a slight nod and they both turned to leave. Watching them go Esperanza let out a sigh of relief, then turned to face her rescuer who was staring after the two men with a murderous expression.

 

“Thank you, Race,” Esperanza said softly, adjusting her basket in her arms. Race turned to look at her, smiling slightly.

 

“Anytime, Miss…”

 

“Esperanza. Esperanza Lopez,” Esperanza said, holding out a hand. 

 

Race took it and shook it firmly. “Racetrack Higgins, but my friends call me Race for short.” He cocked his head, an expression of curiosity on his face. “With a name an’ accent like yours, you sure ain’t from around here, are ya?” he asked.

 

Esperanza chuckled slightly and shook her head. “My family moved here last winter. We’re from New Mexico.”

 

Race let out a disbelieving laugh. “Really? You ain’t from Santa Fe by any chance?”

 

“Not from the city, but my family owned a farm nearby. Why?” Esperanza asked, cocking her head slightly.

 

Race shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips. “No reason.”

 

A clock nearby suddenly chimed the hour, and Esperanza glanced at her still half-empty basket. “Well, I’d better get on with my shopping. It was nice meeting you Race,” she smiled, and Race smiled back.

 

“You too,” he said, giving her a friendly nod before they both turned away from each other and continued on their way.

 

********************************************************************************************************

 

A few weeks later Esperanza was back at the market. She hadn’t told her mother about what had happened the last time she had been, and if she had what difference would it make? Her mother was often ill, and someone had to do the family’s shopping.

 

Strolling along the street it wasn’t long before Esperanza felt a tap on her shoulder. Whirling around she came face to face with “Race! What are you doing here?”

 

“I sell nearby, an’ I saw you and figured I’d say hello,” Race explained, grinning.

 

“I’m glad you did,” Esperanza smiled, walking slower so that Race could walk alongside her. “I’ve been wanting to see you.”

 

“You have, have you?” Race asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

 

“Not like that!” Esperanza hissed, her cheeks reddening as Race laughed and adjusted the bag at his side. Looking down at it, Esperanza quickly changed the subject. “Why are you carrying around newspapers?”

 

“I’se a Newsie!” Race declared proudly.

 

“A Newsie?” Esperanza frowned, confused.

 

Race nodded, seeming more than happy to explain. “Newsies sell newspapers to anyone who’ll buy them,” he said, then pointed at a boy on a nearby corner. “See? We hawk the headlines, just like he’s doin’.”

 

Esperanza gazed on in slight wonder, she had seen those boys before but had never really paid attention to them until now, and there were none where she came from.

 

As Esperanza continued to walk with Race, an idea began to take shape in her head. An idea that would let her see Race more often, as well as let her experience the city she now called home.

 

“Race?” she asked.

 

“Yeah?” Race responded, turning to look at her.

 

“How much do you make?”

 

“Why you thinkin’ of becoming a Newsie?” he chuckled.

 

“Race, please answer my question,” Esperanza said, giving an exasperated sigh.

 

Race smiled at her. “Well, it depends on how many papers we sell,” he said. “We buy ‘em for 60 cents per hundred, an’ we can sell back whatever we don’t sell.” Here he paused and allowed himself a brief look of pride before continuing. “We usually sell ‘em for a penny each, but sometimes people pay you more dependin’ on how sorry they feel for ya.”

 

Esperanza nodded, taking in this information. “Thank you, Race. I’d better get home now,” she said after a moment.

 

“‘Course,” Race nodded, tipping his cap at her and sauntering away, whistling to himself as he pulled another newspaper from his bag.

 

********************************************************************************************************

 

“¿Has perdido la cabeza?” Esperanza’s mother exclaimed, looking at her as if she had grown two heads. “¡Tú no puedes vender periódicos, estas una niña!”

 

“¡Hay niñas que venden periódicos!” Esperanza shot back. “¡Y yo quiero hacer uno de ellos!”

 

“Escúchala, Mamá,” Esperanza’s older brother, Miguel, pleaded. “Ella tiene un punto, y podríamos usar el dinero.”

 

Esperanza’s mother glared at Miguel, then turned to her husband. “¿Y tú? ¿Tú quieres que tu única hija vende cosas en la calle como un  pilluelo?”

 

Esperanza’s father sighed, slowly rising from his seat to stoke the fire in the stove. He was quiet for a moment before speaking. “Yo trabajo en una fábrica, Rosa.”

 

A slight look of anguish passed over Esperanza’s mother’s face for a moment before she finally sighed and nodded. “Muy bien, si eso es lo que quieres.”

 

Esperanza’s heart leapt, and she shot forward in her seat to envelope her mother in a hug. “ ¡ Muchas gracias, Mamá. No te arrepentirás!”

 

Esperanza’s mother sighed again, hugging Esperanza back tightly. “Eso espero, hija.”

**Author's Note:**

> Spanish Translations:
> 
> (Please note that while I speak Spanish fluently, I am not the best at conjugation and there might be some errors in what I've written. If you notice any, please let me know!)
> 
> "¡Esperanza, ponte a atención!" - "Esperanza, pay attention!"
> 
> "Sí, Mamá?" - "Yes, Mother?"
> 
> "Siempre con la cabeza en el cielo, nunca escuchando a nadie…" - "Always with her head in the clouds, never listening to anyone..."
> 
> "Estoy escuchando ahora, Mamá." - "I'm listening now, Mother."
> 
> "Comprar algo para la cena en el mercado." - "Buy something for dinner at the market."
> 
> "Y no te tomes demasiado tiempo." - "And don't take too long."
> 
> "¿Has perdido la cabeza?" - "Have you lost your mind?"
> 
> "¡Tú no puedes vender periódicos, estas una niña!" - "You can't sell newspaper, you're a girl!"
> 
> "¡Hay niñas que venden periódicos!" - "There are girls who sell newspapers!"
> 
> "¡Y yo quiero hacer uno de ellos!" - "And I want to be one of them!"
> 
> "Escúchala, Mamá." - "Listen to her, Mother."
> 
> "Ella tiene un punto, y podríamos usar el dinero." - "She has a point, and we could use the money."
> 
> "¿Y tú? ¿Tú quieres que tu única hija vende cosas en la calle como un pilluelo?" - "And you? Do you want your only daughter to sell things in the street like an urchin?"
> 
> "Yo trabajo en una fábrica, Rosa." - "I work in a factory, Rosa."
> 
> "Muy bien, si eso es lo que quieres." - "Very well, if that's what you want."
> 
> "¡Muchas gracias, Mamá. No te arrepentirás!" - "Thank you so much, Mother. You won't regret it!"
> 
> "Eso espero, hija." - "I hope so, daughter."


End file.
